Who's that guy?

[Stjofön Big]

This guy is so fugging simple, and so clear about what it is he'
s doing, that I'm completely knocked out... My, my.. Anyone's in the know?

[4stringer77]

Bob Babbitt played on lots of Motown. He's also known for a very funky bass solo on a tune called Scorpio by Dennis Coffey.

[westen44]

Bob Babbitt also played on some of the controversial Jimi Hendrix albums that Alan Douglas produced in the 1980s.  Douglas had studio musicians overdub much of the music.  Babbitt is on part of the Crash Landing album and on all of the Midnight Lightning album.  Albums like these were popular especially with people who weren't even very familiar with Hendrix in the first place, but the majority of the fans were critical of Hendrix's original music being tampered with.  I don't really have an opinion because those albums are hard to find and I've never even listened to them.  I'm a Hendrix completist but these are fairly rare recordings that even I don't have.  I've just shelled out $60 for the BOG Fillmore East CD set coming out next month, though, which is standard procedure for me.  I buy anything like that that's available. 

[Dave W]

After Bass Player mag did a feature on Gene Simmons in the mid-90s, they published a letter from Bob claiming that he was asked to ghost for Gene on a certain KISS album but refused. I don't doubt it.

[Stjofön Big]

Thank you guys! Now I realize I've listened to Babbitt earlier on. Like the Marvin Gaye tune Inner city blues from the What's going on album. I like his style. More kind of melodic boogaloo than funk, at least in my book. And as I check further, I understand he's as well the guy on several early Del Shannon hits! Thanks again!

[Dave W]

He earned his reputation at Motown but he played on many more hits than that.

He was also a pro wrestler for a time.

[lowend1]

After Bass Player mag did a feature on Gene Simmons in the mid-90s, they published a letter from Bob claiming that he was asked to ghost for Gene on a certain KISS album but refused. I don't doubt it.

Gene's solo album in 1978.  It wasn't really a "ghost" session, because anybody who played on that album got credit for it. Gene primarily sang and played some guitar, but left the bulk of the playing to others. That was sorta the idea - to get as many cameos on the album as humanly possible. Having Joe Perry, Skunk Baxter and Donna Summer on the same cut is something of an oddity. Ultimately, the bass duties were handled by Neil Jason, who's something of a badass himself.